Viewing the World through God's Word

Category: Peace

I’m astounded that the current administration in Washington seems to believe that getting America’s enemies to the diplomatic table will bring peace. Just to be clear, I’m not making a political statement. I’m not pro-war. And I have no workable solution to bring world peace through human channels.

But this naiveté of inherent human goodness totally ignores the reality of sin . . .

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God'”
( Romans 3:23).

Sin not only separates us from our Creator and his glory, it depraves human nature, including our mind. Writing of Gentile sinners, Paul urges the church . . .

” . . . you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do in the futility of their minds.They are darkened in their understanding,alienated from the life of God,
because of the ignorance that is in them
due to the hardness of their heart.”
(Ephesians 4:17,18).

That’s God’s word. It means we cannot simply trust “the goodwill of man” when we sit at the bargaining table. I don’t deny the need for diplomacy. Sure, try to reason with people driven by hostile ideologies. But we can’t assume that a signature on the bottom line certifies the agreement.

And that brings me to the importance of worldview. In the latest edition of “National Review” online, Ben Shapiro writes . . .

Obama believes, as doctrinaire leftists do, that human beings do not derive meaning from ancient religious superstitions and deep-seated ideas about how the universe ought to operate. Given relief from material want and prevention of emotional distress, Obama believes, all human beings would get along just fine — and would then be free to cultivate themselves as they see fit.

Karl Marx wrote that “life involves before everything else eating and drinking, a habitation, clothing, and many other things.” In this view, unhappiness derives from scarcity in these resources or from social relationships created to guarantee these primary needs for some at the expense of others. Religion, meanwhile, exists only to misdirect such unhappiness toward the cosmic rather than toward one’s fellow man. Hence Marx’s belief that abolition of religion is “the demand for their real happiness.”

This is “leftist religion.” The replacement of “ancient religious superstitions” with a religious-like ideology that what we all really need is our “primary needs” supplied. If we would only help our fellow man attain those provisions we would have world happiness and peace. (ISIS reveals that worldview’s paucity when they aim to take over the world by slaughter!)

Our “leftist religionists” stop short of Marx who claimed “Religion . . . exists only to misdirect such unhappiness toward the cosmic rather than toward one’s fellow man.” In other words, energy devoted to getting right with God should be directed to getting right with one another. Today’s “leftists” allow for God, just not as Savior and Lord through his Son. Leave him, please, to just “bless” us.

“Leftist religion” will never deliver, nor will diplomacy based on it. God won’t be content to be merely a “blesser.” He will be honored as God! Belief in the inherent goodness of man, if only his primary needs are met, is blind and ignorant faith stemming from hard-hearted-ness toward God the Father of Jesus. The world cannot be saved by mutual goodwill and understanding, because the foundation (man) is fallen.

This is why our only hope lies not in a new U.S. president or deal-making Congress or more talented diplomats or even the military’s overpowering force. These are necessities for today—until the Peacemaker returns to Planet Earth . . .

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,
and in this one body to reconcile both of them to Godthrough the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.(Ephesians 2:13-18)

Now, until that day when Jesus comes to bring world peace, drink in his Spirit of peace for your own soulas you prayerfully listen to the video above.